Learning to talk, walk and play have been bigger achievements for Kassie than for most kids.

When Kassie entered foster care as a toddler, she was severely developmentally delayed and clearly malnourished. She couldn’t walk or talk. She couldn’t hold eye contact and didn’t know how to play. She vomited 40 to 50 times a day, every single day but for no obvious medical reason.

As a community we often discuss the poor mental health of adults and young people, but rarely do we really look at the mental health of babies. This is unfortunate because it is the relationships and environment a baby experiences during infancy that often set the conditions for that baby’s mental health during later adolescence and adulthood.

It’s thought that at least half of the children and young people we work with have communications difficulties. This can contribute to feelings of anxiety and frustration that might lead to social isolation, aggression or depression when they can’t understand what others are telling them or express themselves properly.